For a long time, VPS snapshots were only available in high-end hosting companies, but over the last few years they’ve become increasingly common in the marketplace. This neat feature can be a real time-saver if your provider offers it.
What is a Snapshot?
Imagine if you could clone your VPS exactly as it is – byte for byte. That’s what a snapshot is. What you’re actually snapshotting is the storage (your disk), not any processes that are currently running.
Does My VPS Need to be Powered Down for a Snapshot?
This depends on the provider. Some providers offer offer snapshots for running VMs. If the VM is not powered down, then you’re getting an inconsistent state on the filesystem. Most of the time this is not an issue – it’s similar to how the VM would recover if you powered it off (a non-graceful power-off). However, if you’re running database systems (MySQL, PostgreSQL, etc.) you probably want to either do a DB dump first or power the VM down before snapshotting.
Why Would I Want a Snapshot?
You can:
- Restore the VM back to a snapshot. It’s like a point-in-time restore point. If you’re about to do something dangerous (e.g., upgrading the OS), a snapshot may be an excellent way to protect yourself.
- Use the snapshot to create a new VM. Note that you’ll need to reconfigure the network (unless you’re using DHCP), hostname, etc.
- Use the snapshot as a backup. In fact, snapshots and backups are very similar. Backups typically involve copying files off to another medium and then restoring them. Snapshots operate at the physical storage layer, copying the entire VM image.
Are Snapshots Free?
All depends on your provider. Most providers charge for the disk you consume on a per-GB basis.
Which Providers Offer Snapshots?
Here’s a list of providers that offer snapshots (thanks to the LET community for commenting in this thread). If you know of others, please comment below!
- Amazon LightSail
- Amazon AWS
- BandwagonVPS
- BinaryLane
- BuyVM
- Cloudcone
- Contabo
- DigitalOcean
- Google Public Cloud
- Hetzner Cloud
- Linode
- Lunanode
- Microsoft Azure
- OVH Cloud
- Scaleway
- Vultr
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Raindog308 is a longtime LowEndTalk community administrator, technical writer, and self-described techno polymath. With deep roots in the *nix world, he has a passion for systems both modern and vintage, ranging from Unix, Perl, Python, and Golang to shell scripting and mainframe-era operating systems like MVS. He’s equally comfortable with relational database systems, having spent years working with Oracle, PostgreSQL, and MySQL.
As an avid user of LowEndBox providers, Raindog runs an empire of LEBs, from tiny boxes for VPNs, to mid-sized instances for application hosting, and heavyweight servers for data storage and complex databases. He brings both technical rigor and real-world experience to every piece he writes.
Beyond the command line, Raindog is a lover of German Shepherds, high-quality knives, target shooting, theology, tabletop RPGs, and hiking in deep, quiet forests.
His goal with every article is to help users, from beginners to seasoned sysadmins, get more value, performance, and enjoyment out of their infrastructure.
You can find him daily in the forums at LowEndTalk under the handle @raindog308.
Maybe adjust the post to put in the size category? Top medium small